The serenpidity is the ability to make an unexpected discovery by chance. The serendipitist is the person who knows how to take advantage of unforeseen circumstances and, above all, does not allow chance to dominate them.
In France, 1963, Lily-Rose...
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:; There's another side that you don't know, you don't know I can wait to get you all alone, all alone Once I'm in there ain't no letting go, letting go Watch me turn your mind into my home. - sickick ⚖️
Voltaire High, classroom 18, 12:24 PM
Joseph, seated at the back of the class, watched with indifference as the math teacher handed out the papers.
Lily-Rose, seated a few rows ahead of him, felt a knot form in her stomach as she saw the teacher approach her desk with a stack of graded papers.
She knew she hadn't done well on the test, but secretly hoped it wouldn't be too bad.
The teacher began distributing the papers, and soon it was Lily-Rose's turn. She took the paper with palpable apprehension, feeling the eyes of the other students on her.
She quickly glanced at her grade and felt her heart sink as she saw the number written at the top of the page. She had a bad grade, probably the worst she'd ever gotten in math.
Joseph, observing the scene, couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her further. "Hey, princess ! Another bad grade, huh ? Maybe you should give up on math and focus on something you're good at."
The other students turned to look at Lily-Rose who lowered her head, cheeks burning with shame. Why did Joseph always have to behave like this ?
The teacher, having heard the exchange, frowned and approached him.
"Mr. Descamps, this is not appropriate behavior in class," he said sternly. "I advise you to focus on your own work. And especially, before mocking others, remember that you yourself have shortcomings. In French, to be precise, your results leave much to be desired."
The students around them burst into laughter, finding the situation ironic. Joseph, accustomed to being the provocateur, now found himself the target of mockery. He lowered his head, unable to retort.
Meanwhile, Lily-Rose, though aware of her mediocre grade, couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction seeing him called out. She looked up at him with a mocking smile, giving him a look that clearly said : And you, pirate ?
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𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐘
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Exit from Voltaire High, 5:33 PM
As the high school emptied out after classes, the crowd of students dispersed slowly, each heading their usual way.
Lily-Rose walked briskly, her thoughts still occupied by her poor math grade. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Hey, princess !"
She turned to see him approaching, arms crossed, looking triumphant.
She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "What do you want ?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Joseph stopped a few steps away from her, his smile widening. "I bet you had quite a surprise seeing your math grade, huh ?" he said mockingly.
"And you ? Do you remember your last grade in French ?" she retorted, causing him to stiffen slightly, a spark of challenge in her eyes.
"Oh, you want to play that game, huh ?" he replied. "You really don't want to compare our grades, princess."
She met his gaze defiantly. "Why not ? You seem so sure of yourself. Show me how brilliant you are in French."
Joseph's smile faltered slightly as he remembered his own struggles in French. He tried to conceal his embarrassment by shrugging. "Oh, that ? It's not important. I excel in other more important subjects."
He noticed she seemed a bit tense, and wondered if it was because of her bad grade. Taking the lead, he leaned in slightly towards her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, how will your parents react to this disastrous grade ?"
"I won't tell my dad. He's already busy enough with his work," she confessed. Joseph furrowed his brow, surprised by her response.
"Oh, really ? And your mom, how will she react ?" he asked, curious to see if she would mention her mother.
She felt a weight settle in her chest at the mention of her mother, and he noticed.
"Um... My mom..." Her face froze briefly, but she quickly regained her composure.
A shiver ran through Lily-Rose as she once again remembered that her mother was no longer there. He stared at her for a moment, seeming to understand that she didn't want to say more.
Joseph decided to change the subject, realizing he had touched a sensitive nerve. "Hey, listen, let's forget about that. Besides, if you want help studying math, I'm here... I know it's not easy, but I'm sure you can improve."
Lily-Rose blinked, surprised by the sudden change in the conversation and especially by his offer. "Oh... uh, yeah, why not," she replied, grateful. "I could really use the help. Would you do that for me ?"
"Of course, why not ? After all, we're both in the same boat with math, might as well help each other."
"Really ? You'd be willing to help me ?"
Joseph nodded confidently. "Just because we tease each other sometimes doesn't mean we can't help each other out, right ?"
A shy smile formed on Lily-Rose's lips. Maybe there was more to Joseph than she had ever suspected.
"We could meet up Saturday afternoon at my place, sound good ?" she continued.
"At your place ?" he repeated, smiling. "I never thought I'd have the chance to visit a real mansion." She blushed slightly but smiled nonetheless. "In that case, I'll have to politely decline. I'm not sure I'm ready to face the royal guards of your castle."
She smiled, amused, which he proudly noticed.
"Very funny, Joseph. My dad often works on weekends, so we'll have the whole house to ourselves."
"That works for me. I can't wait to see where the famous Lily-Rose de Montclair lives. I mean, the inside."
She gave him a playful look and said, "Don't expect anything extravagant."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be quite modest. But that won't stop me from being impressed," he replied with a knowing smile.
"By the way," she started, hesitantly, "if you want, I could also help you with French."
He was surprised by the offer. He knew his grades in French weren't the best, but he hadn't expected Lily-Rose to offer him her help.
"Okay," he agreed, his heart pounding with excitement. "Let's do that."
